Dmitry Protopopov, former head of Popcorn Books, received a four-year suspended sentence for distributing LGBTQ+ literature following a plea deal.
Key facts
- •Dmitry Protopopov was one of three managers arrested in May 2025 for “extremism” related to LGBTQ+ literature.
- •The court banned Protopopov from publishing or managing websites for four years.
- •Protopopov testified against senior executives at Eksmo as part of a plea deal.
- •Former colleagues Pavel Ivanov and Artyom Vakhlyayev received similar suspended sentences in separate trials earlier this summer.
- •The human rights organization Memorial has classified all three men as political prisoners.
A Moscow judge sentenced Dmitry Protopopov, the former head of independent publishers Popcorn Books and Individuum, to a four-year suspended sentence on Friday. Protopopov was found guilty of LGBTQ+ “extremism” following a 2023 Russian Supreme Court ruling that outlawed the “international LGBT movement.”
By the numbers
Charges and Legal Proceedings
Protopopov was arrested in May 2025 alongside two other senior managers. Prosecutors alleged the group devised a scheme to sell books with LGBTQ+ themes to specific customers to avoid writing off 10 million rubles ($121,700) in losses. Protopopov entered a plea deal and testified against executives at Eksmo, the publishing group that acquired majority stakes in his companies in 2023.
Sentencing and Penalties
The Zamoskvoretsky District Court granted the prosecution’s request in full, placing Protopopov on five years of probation. He is also banned from working in publishing or managing websites for four years. Additionally, the court seized 8.7 million rubles ($106,000) representing his earnings from his time at Eksmo.
Timeline
- 2023The Russian Supreme Court outlawed the “international LGBT movement,” criminalizing the distribution of related literature.
- May 2025Dmitry Protopopov and two other senior managers were arrested and charged with “extremism.”
- FridayA Moscow judge handed down a four-year suspended sentence to Protopopov.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by The Moscow Times.
